Jim’s Greek Tavern

With one of the largest Greek populations outside of Greece, Melburnians harbour an enduring love for the peninsula nation's food and culture. Since 1980, husband and wife Aphrodite and Leonidas Panagopoulos (along with their family) have kept Jim’s Greek Tavern true to tradition, serving up classic Greek dishes with panache.

There’s a focus on simplicity here – a philosophy evident from the taverna-inspired white-washed walls to the comforting share plates. Waiters will guide you through options that start with a mezze of salty saganaki, or a plate of house-made dips like tarama, eggplant and tzatziki, topped with olives and flanked by pickled octopus and deep-fried zucchini. For mains, there’s a smorgasbord of meats and seafood. The lamb is slow-cooked and sliced straight from the gyro, while the signature seafood – like charcoal-cooked King George whiting and blue eye, or crisp fried whitebait and calamari – will have you elbowing fellow diners out of the way for more. To finish, Aphrodite insists you try her house-made desserts, including a syrupy galaktoboureko (a Greek custard pie), baklava, halva and Turkish delight.

What’s more, it’s BYO – and your helpful waiter is sure to offer their opinion on the type of beer you’re drinking.